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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23058796">Eddie Deserves Better</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachykeen66/pseuds/peachykeen66'>peachykeen66</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Because it's what he deserves, Eddie Kaspbrak &amp; Beverly Marsh Are Best Friends, Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, F/M, Happy Birthday Richie Tozier, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Little Spoon Richie Tozier, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier is a Mess, Stanley Uris Lives, Underage Drinking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:06:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23058796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachykeen66/pseuds/peachykeen66</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at the love Eddie has received throughout his life, and the love Beverly tells him he deserves.</p>
<p>(In honor of Richie's Birthday, i'm letting my two fav boys have the ending they deserve!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Eddie Deserves Better</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have never written something more introspective before, so I thought i'd try it out. This isn't the best, nor does it have a real plot, just little snippets of Eddie's life/headcanons I have that I thought her sort of fun and interesting. Also i'm sorry in advance for any grammatical errors, i'm an idiot. Either way, I hope y'all enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eddie never put much thought into love. He knew his mother loved him because that was what mothers did. Every visit to the doctor, every band-aid, every vitamin shoved down his throat. It was all in the name of love. It was a constant that he hadn’t remembered having from anyone else in his life. Sure he had friends in high school--he thinks--but they did not care as his mommy did, obviously or they'd be with him right now. They would love him like she did.</p>
<p>It was this same love that led him to marrying Myra. She fretted and worried and made sure his lunches were gluten free. It was like having his mother’s love with him always, but now in the form of a life partner. He loved this type of love. And yet, on rare days, when he would lie in bed and count the paint chips on his ceiling, he’d remember bright red hair with s fiery voice to match whispering to him,</p>
<p>“We deserve better than this.”</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Somewhere in the living room, Eddie heard glass shatter, followed by multiple gasps and shushes. He groaned, placing his red cup down on the kitchen island next to the half-eaten birthday cake and empty bottles of tequila, before stomping towards where the noise came from. Unsurprisingly, it is exactly how he pictured looking in his head.</p>
<p>Richie, red faced from drinking non-stop since eight pm, is simply looking at the floor, hand still shaped as if he were still holding his bottle of Budweiser. Bill and Mike are cackling, leaning into each other on the old couch, tears falling down their faces as they attempt to catch their breath. Stan is standing over Ben holding a trash can, which would be considered a sweet attempt to help clean has Stan not been swaying slightly and just standing stiff as a board. And Ben was doing all of the work, wiping the floor and picking up small shards of glass—although he didn’t seem too mad at the situation.</p>
<p>Eddie didn’t usually like parties. Not because of the drinking or the hooking up that most guys his age did, but because he couldn’t let loose. Since the summer of 1991 when Bill got invited to Sarah Bartone’s birthday party and brought the others as a plus five, they began drinking more on the weekends. Eddie and Stan hated it at first, rarely participating while the others played King cup with whatever beer Richie was able to swipe from his family’s garage. They both agreed that the idea of losing control of oneself in front of others was unnerving and better left to Richie to deal with, who in turn, was always the life of the party. It never helped their popularity, but it did cause whoever was left over from the “clown-summer-debacle”—as Ben describes it—to poke at them less.</p>
<p>Their friends, Richie included, never gave them shit for not drinking, which Eddie was grateful for, and it did help them when he and Stan decided to have a drink or two at Bill’s Losers only Christmas party that same year. Despite ending the night with Mike and Richie curled next to each other in the bathtub and Ben losing his shoes while crying about missing Beverly, the two boys enjoyed the night and agreed to drink with the loser’s exclusively. Which is why Eddie is now standing in front of his friends as they wreck Mike’s beautiful home in an attempt to celebrate Richie’s seventeenth birthday.</p>
<p>“I leave for five fucking minutes Rich!” Mike snorts out a laugh and Bill begins gasping out a laugh, curled into himself. “Muh-my stomach, Mike! I-I-I can’t breathe!”</p>
<p>As the two keep cackling, Richie finally looks up at Eddie, a grin breaking out across his face.</p>
<p>“Spaghetti! Did’ya want your beer back?”</p>
<p>He holds out his hand, as if to hand the bottle to him before realizing it’s not in his hand. He glances down at the mess still in the process of being cleaned up.</p>
<p>“Oh, shit. My bad Ben.”</p>
<p>Mike and Bill lose it again when Ben flips Richie off.</p>
<p>Eddie rolls his eyes and walks back into the kitchen to finish pouring himself a drink. He knows Richie’ll follow in shortly. He tries not to think about it too much, but the more times they drink, the clingier Richie gets to him. Eddie used to complain when Richie would throw himself way too close next to him on the couch or fall asleep on the floor next to him when the night got too long. Now Eddie gets excited for it; the closeness, the bonding with his best friend. It’s a comfort knowing they’re all so close to each other, that they won’t leave like Beverly did—even though most days Eddie hears his mother whine and can’t find it in himself to blame her for leaving.</p>
<p>Sure enough, moments later Richie comes stumbling in, faded Mountain Dew shirt stained from a few margaritas, bright blue Hawaiian shirt no where to be seen. Eddie barely has to look at his friend to know he is completely <em>plastered</em>. He ignores him, pouring rum into his cup.</p>
<p>“Rich you’re a moron, ya know that?”</p>
<p>Richie snorts, dipping a finger into the chocolate cake still left out. Eddie lets out a frustrated grunt and he swipes the cake out from under Richie, tossing it onto the counter top behind him.</p>
<p>“Fucking gross dude.”</p>
<p>He expects Richie to laugh like usual, a deep bellied bark that never fails to put a smile on Eddie’s own face. Instead, his friend looks forlornly at his finger covered in icing.</p>
<p>“I think I’m gonna die alone.”</p>
<p>It startles Eddie enough to make him stop and simply look at his friend. He isn’t crying, but he looks on the verge of it, and Eddie isn’t sure how to respond. He has seen Richie cry <em>once </em>outside of the movies, and it was over a petty fight he had with Stan. Maybe if he weren’t drunk himself, he would have said something better, but all that came out was,</p>
<p>“Huh? What’re you talking about?”</p>
<p>Richie popped the chocolaty finger into his mouth before pulling it out with a dramatic <em>pop</em>, and Eddie couldn’t find himself to comment.</p>
<p>“I mean, <em>I </em>know my flaws, ‘nd I know ‘m kinda gross a-a-and pervy, right? So why w’ld I marry anyone? Or I guess, why’d anyone wanna marry me?”</p>
<p>Despite the half slurred speech and rapid speed of said speech, Eddie understood Richie completely. Which also meant he didn’t understand him <em>at all. </em></p>
<p>“Rich, what the fuck are you talking about, don’t be a dumbass. You’re seventeen, you got plenty of time to find someone.”</p>
<p>Richie shook his head, “No, no, no, I really don’t think I will.” Tears began to fall from Richie’s eyes. “I’ll probably have to adopt a kid or somethin’, since I’ll never have on of m’ own. A-a-and my mom’ll ask about me marry’ng someone and I’ll have to say no si-since no one w’ll want me, a-a-and-“</p>
<p>Eddie moved around the island and grabbed Richie’s arms, cutting his rant off. He thinks about Richie’s tears and the drink he himself finished twenty minutes ago that he is still feeling and Richie’s stupid dumb fear that for some reasons <em>burns </em>Eddie’s chest.</p>
<p>“Shut the fuck up Rich!” He shakes him for emphasis. “You are a <em>dipshit </em>if you think no one will wanna marry you! You’re not a gross perv! You’re smart and funny and beautiful and fuckin’ <em>stupid!</em>” Richie releases something between a gasp and a laugh despite the fact that he was still crying. “I love you, Rich. And if someone doesn’t agree, well then they’re the biggest moron to walk this earth!”</p>
<p>Richie was silent for a few moments, just watching Eddie with a look of <em>something </em>too deep in his eyes for Eddie to grasp, before sobbing completely, legs giving out from under him. Eddie barely had time to catch him before his friend curled up and cried into Eddie’s chest. Eddie, still at a loss, began rubbing his friends back, holding him tightly.</p>
<p>They sat like that for a few moments before Stan walked in holding an empty beer bottle. He paused, slowly noticing his two friends on the floor.</p>
<p>“Rich? You good?”</p>
<p>Before Eddie could answer, Richie sat up and extended one of his arms out to Stan.</p>
<p>“I l’ve my friends so m’ch Stan! It’s mah birthday! Give the birthday boy a hug, dude!”</p>
<p>Stan only took a moment to think it over before crawling over to them and hugging them back as tightly.</p>
<p>Eddie couldn’t help to think about how much he loved the losers. Beverly, Stan, Mike, Ben, Bill, Richie. He didn’t lie to Richie, he loves him way too much for his brain to process. He loved all of his friends just the same.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Eddie begins dating Cara in 2001 after meeting her in a nightclub with her old college friends. She is smart and quick witted and a bit on the gross side. He absolutely loves her. They stay together for nine months before she breaks it off.</p>
<p>She claimed that he was with her, “because you’re hoping to find someone who isn’t here.” Eddie was heartbroken but didn’t fight her on it. Some deep part of him knew she was telling the truth.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Eddie sat on the hammock as Beverly played with the old tape player. It was rare that the two of them were in the clubhouse without the others, even with them all fighting among them. It seemed to Eddie that they each had the same idea after a rough night at home. Neither said anything for a while until,</p>
<p>“Do you think out parents love us?”</p>
<p>Eddie fiddled with his cast.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“I <em>mean</em>, that if our parents <em>actually </em>loved us, would they treat us this way?”</p>
<p>If Eddie knew what he knows now he might have said something better, more profound. He might have seen the merit in his friends words. But he didn’t fight the clown a second time yet, nor did he learn was placebos were. He only knew of his mothers worry about his dirty friends, and so:</p>
<p>“I think they only give us the love they’re capable of giving.”</p>
<p>Because it’s true, Eddie knows his mother is called crazy by Richie almost every other day, but it’s only because she thinks she’s doing the right thing. He can’t really get mad at her for that, can he?</p>
<p>Beverly shakes her head, pulling at her curls.</p>
<p>“If that’s the case Eds, and you’re telling me the truth about your ma and my father, then let me tell you something that you should always remember, got it?”</p>
<p>Eddie leans in, nodding.</p>
<p>“Even if you’re right, and they do love us it doesn’t matter.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter, because no matter what happens, we deserve better than this.”</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Eddie thought he knew what love felt like. At the ripe age of forty, he knew what maternal, spousal, and general love should feel like since he saw it every day.</p>
<p>He thought he knew it until he was called back to Derry, Maine and came face to face with Richie Tozier.</p>
<p>The burning feeling came back into his chest, as they all, Beverly, Stan, Mike, Bill, Richie, sat down. Sometime between the first round of shots and the cursed fortune cookies, Eddie realized that he may not know what spousal love felt like.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Sometime between Richie’s pep talk in the cistern and Stan shoving all three of them away from Pennywise’s descending claw, Eddie realized that he may know what spousal love feels like.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Eddie signs the last bit of paperwork, glancing at Myra’s pinched face sitting across from him before dotting the “I” in his name.</p>
<p>The two lawyers stand, as does Eddie and Myra. Three of the four shake hands. As Eddie goes to leave, Myra speaks.</p>
<p>“Why now, Eddie bear. We were fine all these years, I just don’t get it!”</p>
<p>Eddie wants to tell her that she was manipulative. He wants to tell her that he would hate the idea of coming home somedays and that he was miserable because he felt like this kind of love is all there is in the world.</p>
<p>He finally remembers Beverly in the clubhouse late one August night, just the two of them, and smiles.</p>
<p>“Myra, we both deserve better than this.”</p>
<p>For the first time in a long while, he feels free.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>When he gets a Facebook years later he looks up Cara and adds her as a friend. They keep things friendly. He likes her posts, she likes his.</p>
<p>When her first son is born, he gives the whole family his love. When he changes his status to “divorced”, she wishes him the best of luck.</p>
<p>He shares a picture of him and Richie together at the “Benverly Wedding”—as Mike liked to call it—and she messages him almost instantly.</p>
<p>
  <em>Cara DeBello-Rogers: Looks like you finally found him, Eddie.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Eddie Kaspbrak: Looks like it. Guess we can both be truly happy now.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Cara DeBello-Rogers: Looks like it : )</em>
</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>The lights are low as “More than a woman” begins to play. Richie’s hands are placed lightly on Eddie’s hips as he sways them back and forth. The former is mouthing the words, lyrics hummed out softly between laughs.</p>
<p>They were celebrating Richie’s forty fourth birthday at Bill’s home in Los Angeles and Eddie’s husband demanded he control the music, despite the half hour long argument that they all knew would ensue if he did. Despite that, everyone was enjoying themselves. Ben and Bev were dancing near them alongside Patty and Stan while Audra, Bill, and Mike were mingling on the couch.</p>
<p>Eddie was grateful for this moment. His friends were all alive and happy. They made it out of Derry, out of the world, together. He rests his head against Richie’s chest, closing his eyes and taking in the warmth that is Richie Tozier.</p>
<p>“Hey, Eds?”</p>
<p>Without opening his eyes, Eddie hums in acknowledgement.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t this remind you of that time I got super wasted and cried on Mike’s kitchen floor?”</p>
<p>Eddie couldn’t help but to bark out a laugh.</p>
<p>“Uh, I guess it does ring a bell.” He pauses a moment before the memory fully comes back to him. “Wait, hold on…yeah I do remember that night!”</p>
<p>He lifts himself up to look Richie in the eyes before smacking his shoulder.</p>
<p>Richie winces dramatically before rubbing his arm.</p>
<p>“Why you hitting me? I thought that was a fun memory of us cuddling on the floor!”</p>
<p>“We were cuddling because you were crying the whole second half of the night!”</p>
<p>It seemed like Richie didn’t, in fact, remember.</p>
<p>“Wait seriously?”</p>
<p>“Yes seriously, Rich. You said you were gonna die alone because no one wanted to date someone as gross as you or some shit.”</p>
<p>Richie’s eyes widen before he laughs.</p>
<p>“Oh my god yeah! You called me beautiful and I cried like a bitch.”</p>
<p>Eddie’s jaw drops because—</p>
<p>“That’s why you dragged me onto the floor?”</p>
<p>They both turn to see Stan glaring at them as others laugh lightly.</p>
<p>“Stan! You remember that too?”</p>
<p>Stan let out a groan as Patty shakes her head fondly.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I remember. I wouldn’t have done that if I knew you two were just being idiots as usual.”</p>
<p>Richie runs to Stan, who in turn runs towards Bev. Richie chases after him anyway.</p>
<p>“Stan I’m sorry I was in the midst of a drunken gay panic! Let me make it up to you!”</p>
<p>“Get away from me!”</p>
<p>Stan runs around and holds onto Ben as if he is a human shield. Richie doesn’t seem to mind, because he throws his arms around Ben and grabs them both, hugging them tightly.</p>
<p>“Holy cow man, your arms are long!” Ben mutters.</p>
<p>His friends laugh at each other as Bill and the other start to shout, “Happy Birthday Rich!”</p>
<p>Eddie catches Beverly’s eyes. They smile at each other for a few moments and nod. In the end, Bev’s always right. They did deserve better, and they got it.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>That night Eddie wraps his arms around Richie’s waist and slots their legs together. He kisses the back of his husbands neck softly before whispering,</p>
<p>“Guess I was right all along.”</p>
<p>Richie smirks, tilting his head back slightly. “Oh really? How so, Eds?”</p>
<p>“I told you you’d get married. Just took a bit longer than expected.”</p>
<p>Richie laughs, shaking his head. “But am I still as beautiful, babe?”</p>
<p>Eddie tightens his arms around Richie, pulling him closer and smiling into his curls.</p>
<p>“Even more so.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading guys! Let me know if you liked it/how I can improve! And most importantly, I gotta say, Happy Birthday Richie!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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